A gift for Uvalde schoolchildren

Dr. Maria Moneta De Castro writes a memorial statement on the bottom of a 24-inch-tall wooden statue of Jesus that she donated to Sacred Heart Catholic School in Uvalde. (NTC/Juan Guajardo).

FORT WORTH — After hearing about the tragic school shooting in Uvalde which took 21 lives, Dr. Maria Moneta de Castro, a Holy Family Church parishioner and retired pediatrician, decided to visit the community over the summer.

She and a board member of the Charles de Castro Memorial Foundation, which de Castro set up following the death of her husband in 2009, visited Sacred Heart Catholic Church as part of that trip. There the pair met some volunteers who told them of the need for a statue of Jesus to place in Sacred Heart Catholic School, as a way to welcome the many students who transferred from Robb Elementary, the site of the tragic shooting 4 months ago, to the parochial school.

Instantly, de Castro thought of the custom-made statue depicting Jesus with the children, which she had bought in the Holy Land with her late husband. Crafted by hand, the statue stands over 24 inches tall and is made of olive wood. School officials were overjoyed by the gift.

Although the finely carved statue has been a mainstay in her home for many years, de Castro felt the children would benefit from it.

“When the students see Jesus, they [will] know that there’s Someone there who really loves them and can give them comfort. They will feel that they are loved,” she explained.

The school on Sept. 23 sent a representative to pick up the donation in Fort Worth to bring back to Sacred Heart School in Uvalde.